"I'm going to be aggressive, I'm coming forward and I'm coming to fight! That's for sure! It's going to be his first fight in the UFC and he's probably been watching me fight for the last 5 years on TV so he's probably going to be a little star struck from fighting in the UFC and I'm going to use that to my advantage. I'm coming forward and I'm going to try and take his head off," stated UFC welterweight contender Josh Koscheck as he talked about his upcoming clash with Paulo Thiago at UFC 95. Check out what else he had to say about Thiago, Karo Parisyan, Georges St. Pierre, Diego Sanchez and more.
PC: How is training going for your UFC 95 fight against Paulo Thiago?
JK: It's going very well. Things are going good and training is great. I'm just focused on getting the W.
PC: I have to give you props for one of the best knockouts of the year against Yoshida. Obviously you have been working on your striking, but how much do you work on your standup in the gym?
JK: I've pretty much been working my butt off to get my game to where it needed to be to be successful in this sport. I think my last knockout was just a testament of my hard work paying off.
PC: A lot of people feel like you've strayed too far away from your wrestling. Do you feel like you don't rely on your wrestling as much as you should?
JK: I don't think so. All of the fans want to see knockouts. It's like when I was wrestling, they called me boring. Now that I'm a complete fighter, they want me to get back to my wrestling. I think we need to make up our minds in what we want to see. Do they want me to take people down and lay on them or do they want me standing up and knocking people out, you know? I think I've changed my game up a little and gotten away from my wrestling a little, but as far as my wrestling goes, if I need it, I'm going to pull it back out for sure.
PC: Has the striking become a natural progression for you now to where you're able to react without thinking about it or does it still take a conscious effort?
JK: Nothing usually comes too natural without hard work. I think my game is a testament to my training partners over here at AKA; everybody over here pulling together. My coaches helped out a lot and me just doing me and putting in the time, that's the progression. You see fighters say, "it's a natural progression; it comes easy," but if it came easy, you wouldn't have to be in the gym every day working your butt off. That's one of the reasons why I'm in the gym every day because I want to be successful and I want to win fights.
PC: Have you been able to find any footage on Thiago and does it matter to you?
JK: I don't really watch footage on anybody I fight so that's not an issue. I don't like to watch tape so I'm not really concerned about that.
PC: Looking at his record, Jiu Jitsu is obviously his game. How important is it for you to not get overaggressive in your top game when fighting a guy so dangerous off of his back?
JK: I'm going to be aggressive so you can count that in. I'm going to be aggressive, I'm coming forward and I'm coming to fight! That's for sure! It's going to be his first fight in the UFC and he's probably been watching me fight for the last 5 years on TV so he's probably going to be a little star struck from fighting in the UFC and I'm going to use that to my advantage. I'm coming forward and I'm going to try and take his head off.
PC: You're not an easy guy to try and win a contract against, but at the same time, you're supposed to win this fight because most US fans have never heard of Paulo. Does that add additional pressure to you?
JK: No! I don't have pressure to fight anybody. I don't look at it as pressure. I look at it as motivation. I'm not going to let this kid come in here and ruin the party. I got places I want to go and it just so happens to start in London, England on February 21st and Paulo Thiago is just a stop. I just have to make this stop and then get right back on my journey.
PC: Are you cool with fighting in other countries or are you one of the guys that would prefer to keep it in the States?
JK: I don't have a problem fighting anywhere man. I'll fight in your backyard if you pay me enough.
PC: You had 4 fights last year, which is a good amount for a UFC fighter. I understand you're looking to be more active this year.
JK: Yep! I would like to have 5 or 6 fights this year. I think that is the idea and that would make me very happy, that's for sure.
PC: Is it a distraction for you that your next fight is being discussed? There are rumors of a UFC 98 fight against Parisyan. Is that a distraction for you?
JK: Nope. I like to have people talk about me. It creates value and you know that people care if they're talking about you. To be honest with you dude, I'm in the gym. I live in the gym. I do my job and that's training, putting on a show and working my ass off. I don't listen to what people say. I don't get on the internet. I don't read any of that stuff so I don't really listen to what people say.
PC: What weight do you cut from?
JK: About 182. I go from there so it's probably like 11 pounds or so I cut.
PC: Diego Sanchez will fight his first fight at 155 on this card. Have you ever considered a move to 55 and do you think it's a good move for him?
JK: Yeah, it was definitely a good move for him because he has a chance to become a champion there. I don't believe he could be the UFC welterweight champion, but at 155, I think he could do it. For me, I'm a 170-pounder and I'm going to kick everybody's ass there. There is no need for me to go down to 155.
PC: Past opponents of GSP have come out and said he felt slippery against them as well. You recently fought him. Did you feel any slickness to his body orÂ…
JK: Nah, I lost that fight because he was better than me. Now it's a different story. I would like to get a rematch against him for sure.
PC: Josh, I appreciate your time. I'm glad I was finally able to catch up with you. I wish you good luck on the 21st.
JK: Awesome! I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you!
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]